What did it cost to convert cargo liners into German auxiliary cruisers?
Short answerNot very much compared with a new warship, because the hulls already had the needed range and support spaces and received only limited concealed armament modifications.
NotesNo precise conversion cost is supplied. The work was limited compared with building a new warship. The chosen merchant hulls already had long range, crew accommodation, medical facilities and fuel capacity for distant peacetime routes. Concealed guns behind shutters allowed a raider to retain a merchant appearance. The discussion compares this concealment with Q-ships and notes that armament could vary, including torpedo tubes. A possible treaty loophole is then proposed: a boat-launching turntable could provide fittings later adapted for torpedoes. That is an illustration of how the rules might be exploited, rather than a documented fitting claimed for every raider.